Europe

DISCUSSION: During the course of a given Winter season, there are often a collection of particularly strong low-pressure systems which impact many parts of western and/or northwestern Europe with strong winds as well as heavy rain and/or snow. During such events, strong winds have the opportunity to travel over relatively large bodies of water such as (but certainly not limited to) the North Sea. Thus, with these strong winds traveling over large expanses of open water, this helps to facilitate the generation of especially large waves and swells. Such large wave action can often be a major threat to both smaller and larger ocean-going vessels. In particular, this can be quite a costly economic problem when various shipping interests unsuccessfully attempt to complete the delivery of a given product aboard a given shipping vessel. As shown in the footage above (courtesy of Scandinavian Nature), such large swells can make for quite a rough ride to say the least and reinforces the point that the power of water should always be treated with dignity and respect.

To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across Europe, be sure to click here!

DISCUSSION: Within the last 24 to 36 hours, a fairly potent low-pressure system deepened over part of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. As a result of this deepening low-pressure system, there was subsequently increased southerly to southwesterly flow at the lowest-levels of the atmosphere (i.e., within the lowest 0.25 to 0.50 miles above the surface. Further up in the atmosphere, there was found to be more west-southwesterly to westerly flow which facilitated increased deep-layer rotation in any convective storms which developed within the warm sector of this deepening low-pressure system. Thus, as shown above, one such storm which developed just offshore from coastal sections of northwestern Italy flared up into a deeper convective storm which ultimately went on to produce a nasty waterspout (as captured on film in the footage attached above).

It goes without saying that even though, waterspouts such as the one captured above can be small and brief with respect to both intensity and duration, they can still often represent a substantial threat to both small boats, beach-goers, and coastal infrastructure/businesses. Thus, even though, winter is setting in across many areas in this region of the world, there is still a residual threat for various forms of severe weather even across parts of south-central Europe even in early December.

To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across Europe, be sure to click here!